WARBLING VIREO. 
Vireo gilvus BONAPARTE. 
Some birds sing only when by love’s warm glow, 
Yearly, in them is music’s power renewed, 
Ceasing when they their mates have duly wooed, 
And won, and raised their young. The Vireo 
Is our most constant songster; he, although 
Passion not prompt, yea, though have flown his brood, 
Retains his old, poetic, singing mood. 
And his sweet melodies all summer flow. 
Simple are they, and yet none others so 
Express content and heart-felt gratitude; 
And love of song for song’s own self they show; 
Wild flowers of sound, on the air’s soft bosom strewed 
To charm the ear, as those the eye, that blow 
In field and wood, with color and scent indued. 
W. L. SHOEMAKER. 
SINCE the English Sparrow was imported and has multiplied to an indefinite 
S extent, few of our native birds build their nests in the thickets and ornamental 
trees of our large parks in the cities. Those imported anarchists of the feathery tribe 
occupy at once all the nesting-boxes placed in trees or attached to posts and buildings. 
Bluebirds, Wrens, and other hole breeders are always robbed of their nesting-places 
where the Sparrow has become abundant. Not only to those but to many of our small 
birds the Sparrow has become obnoxious by its quarrelsome disposition, audacious 
familiarity, and rude combativeness. Birds, accustomed to build their nests in the 
highest tree-tops, probably suffer the least from these intruders. Some observers explain 
the absence of various other birds, formerly common, by the absence of dense orna- 
mental shrubbery; yet it is a fact that even in the rural districts and in cities where 
trees and shrubs are plenty, the native birds are represented by only a few species. 
Wandering through Lincoln and Humboldt Parks of Chicago during the breeding 
time, one is quickly convinced of the truth of this statement. The Sparrow prevails 
everywhere, but where is our beautiful Oriole, the sweet singing Catbird, the Swallow, 
the lovely Bluebird, the Chippy and Song Sparrow, the Cedarbird and Goldfinch, who 
generally like to be near human abodes. Inthe squares of New Orleans so rich in mag- 
nificent trees, beautiful shrubs, gorgeous crinums, and other semi-trgpical plants, I have 
seen only the Sparrow. The streets and larger gardens in Milwaukee contain beautiful 
specimens of shade-trees. Nowhere have I seen such splendid tall, high-arched elms, 
nowhere such beautiful sugar maples, birches, mountain ashes, and box elders. Though 
their leaves come late in May, they afford throughout the summer months, which in 
this latitude are extremely warm, dense and refreshing shade; and when in autumn the 
deep green of the maples and other trees changes into bright and deep red, their 
appearance is enchantingly beautiful. And yet these trees are sought by birds only 
during their time of migration and in winter. Few only are seen during the breeding 
season. Apart from swarms of Sparrows I have seen only occasionally a Robin, a pair 
